Protect MiFamily was launched in 2013 in Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Macomb counties and uses federal money that would have otherwise gone towards placing children in foster care. It consists of prevention, preservation and support services for families with children from birth to 5 years old who are at-risk of maltreatment.
The pilot project is halfway through a five-year demonstration period, and state officials held a news conference Wednesday at the Kalamazoo County MDHHS office to discuss a progress report. Findings reported by the statistical services company Westat and the University of Michigan in a review of Protect MiFamily program show:

For families who completed the entire program, 4.6 percent of children were removed from their homes compared to 10.8 percent of children in a control group of families in the three counties that did not receive Protect MiFamily services.

All three phases of the project have results of over 90 percent satisfaction for families that participated in the Family Satisfaction Survey.

Serving Kalamazoo & Macomb Counties

Protect MiFamily is a 15-month in-home prevention and preservation service for families with children ages 0-5 who are facing challenges that put them at high risk for future Children’s Protective Services (CPS) involvement. The goals are to help parents meet the needs of their young children and increase safety in their homes.

For more information contact:
Rachel Sykes, Child and Family Director Southwest
(269) 345-5776
rsyke@samaritas.org

Audrey Williams-Burton, Center Director Macomb County
(248)663-0660
awill@samaritas.org